Box toe shoe construction



Feb. 5, A1946. s.v susswElN 2,394,216

BOX TOE SHOE CONSTRUCTION Filed oct. 25, 1944 1 l INVENTOR.' Sammel, usszz/ez/z,

BY Mw mkb.. I

Patented Feb. 5, 1946 BOX TOE SHOE CONSTRUCTION Samuel Susswein, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to E. P. Reed & Co., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1944, Serial No. 560,236

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a box toe shoe construction and has for 'its purpose to afford a stiff, durable, and efficient box toe for an unlined leather shoe such that a toe box of maximum stiifness can be used without harm to the stocking or foot of the wearer.

Heretofore, it has been impossible to use the most effective stiifeners with unlined shoes because of the absence of protection to the foot or stocking from the adhesive and other materials saturating the stiffener element, as a consequence of which it has been the practice to employ with an unlined shoe a felt or other soft, pliable stiifener containing no adhesive impregnating material, and it is a particular purpose of the invention to afford aconstruction that enables using in an unlined shoe any type of toe box or stiiener.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure in which the leather upper is unlined, and the toe portion is provided with a shield that prevents the stocking or foot coming in contact with the toe box or stiiener, the interior of the shoe being thus protected from the adhesive or other impregnating material in the stiifener. Y

A further purpose of the invention is to afford a shield for use in connection with the upper` `of an unlined leather shoe, and arranged at the toe portion of the shoe so as to provide a pocket to house any type of stiifener.

An additional object of the invention is to afford a construction that enables producing an unlined leather shoe with a box toe that is as stiii, durable, and as Well shaped as a lined shoe structure.

Still another purpose of the invention is to afford a shield that can be attached to the upper before or after the stiffener of an unlined shoe and permits the use of any type of stiffener,` including those that are inserted to permit punching, stitching, or otherwisek ornamenting the toe before lasting, the type that are inserted just previous to lasting and which harden immediately upon exposure to the atmosphere, Vor any other character of stiffener irrespective of the stage of manufacture of the shoe at which it is inserted or the conditions under which it hardens.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts thatV will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the forward part of a shoe constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an upper, with the shield attached to receive the toe box or stiiener, previously to lasting;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of an upper with the shield and toe box or stiffener attached, after being subjected to punching and stitching ornamenting operations, previously to lasting;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View on4 line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the stiffener, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the shield used with the stiifener, andshowing in dotted line the area of the shield that is attached to the upper. l l

In the manufacture of leather shoes using a lining, where the toe portion is plain and unornamented, a toe box or stiffener can be used that is kept sealed in an lairtight container until ready to be applied to the upper, and-the upper must be lasted immediately atfer application of the stiffener which quickly hardens upon exposure to the atmosphere, whereas with shoes in which the toe is punched, stitched or otherwise ornamented, a stiiiener is attached to the upper prior to the ornamenting operations, andv is moistened with alcohol before lasting to cause hardening of the stiffener, and the present structure is intended to permit the use of any of such stiifeners with unlined shoes made from calf, heavy suede, bucko, or other plump weights with which a lining is not used. s v

This object may be carried out in various ways by providing a shield attached to the leather upper, affording a pocket to receive the stiffener, and a protective layer between the stiiener and the interior of the shoe so as to prevent contact of the stocking with the stiffener or with th adhesive impregnating material.

In the structure shown, which constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by employing a shield orl protecting element I as shown in Fig. 6, which is preferably made of drill or other heavy fabric with a forward edge 2 conforming to the shape of the forward edge of the upper and of the forward edge 3 of the toe box or stiifener 4, shown in Fig. 5, while the rear edge 5 ofthe shield is preferably so shaped that when in position, it extends generally parallel to the rear edge 5 of the stiffener and is spaced substantially rearwardly of the latter, preferably a distance of approximately onehalf inch.

Referring to Fig. 2, 1 designates the leather tire rear edge, and to prevent the possibility of the shield accidentally loosening at its opposite ends, it may be additionally secured by lines of stitching `il ilocatedadjacent 'to theeiges of the upper andes'hield and Aextending "from points,v approximately coincident with the forward boundary 8 ofthe cemented area to points spaced rearI wardly from the rear edge 5 of the shield, When the shield is thus attached, it covers the entireA forward or toe portion-fof the upper Aand,

.410 4rear-edge :of thestiiener for a substantial disprcvides a pocket or space-between. thel upper and the shield within which to position the toe box or stiffener, which may-be inserted fjust before the lasting operation. The stiffener 4 is positioned between the upper'and shield with itszrear edge sub,stantially coincident i with the forward edge V8 of 'the cemented area of V the'shield, and its forwardcurved edge coinciding` with thegforwardedgesof thellpper and shield.. VThe cornplei? assembly is thenllasted andthe 'Shoe 0.0m-

ple'ted br attaching the; upper, ',stiencr, 'and shield to the'inner sole, 'in theiusualjnrannenv 'The structure Vand procedure abovedescribed applies particularly to 'the type of Is t'i'ffener that dries,Y and fhardens immediately upon being re- .l moved fromfa sealed container and uexposed to the atmosphere, and Awhere the-toe -portion of the shoejis to be punched yor 4stitched for ornamentation, another type lof stiifener is usually employed, to permit its attachment to the'upper 30 harden fquickly afterl moistening with a solvent,

in advance of lasting.v The Istiffenergenerally used for thisy purpose is'prepared for lasting and hardening` by the application of a solvent such Aas alcohol, vand in carrying out the,l inventionv with this, typeof stiiTener,l the stiffener H is prefer-rv ably -flrst positioned and cemented tothef'1libper, see `Fig.j3, along its rear edge I2 and over Van area of approximately one-halfinch.- Following 'thisthej-shield I3 ris laid over' the fsti-iener Aand cemented to #the lupper -along ,an area extend-ingN A from its rear edge I4 to theV rear-edgeof -the stifferler indicated by .the `dotted -line fl i,r 'such cemented area being preferably about one-half 'inch in width. Theshieldelement fis preferably also secured to the upper by lines of stitching I and I6 extending-approximately from the forward boundary vIl of they cemented area of they shield rearwardly beyondv the rearedge :I 4 of the shield.

V.After Vthe shield `is thus attached to therupper over Athe stiflener, the upper can be punched and stitched for ornamentation purposes, as 'shown in Fig. 3, such punching andi 4stitching extending through the stiffener and through the; shield. When the ornamenting operationfis completed and the upper -ready'for lasting, the Lalcohol or other solvent is applied 5to the stiiener by lifting the forward part of the shield and brushing-the alcohol over the front and back ofthe -stiffenen after which theuppenshieldfand stiffener which has been` suitably moistened, is lasted, andattached to the inner sole -fcrthe usual shoe completing operations.

While the inventionl has been Adescribedwith reference vto a certain specific sisizuctureitJ is not confined tothe details herein disclosed, .and this application is intended to cover such, modica tions orchanges as may come within-.the purposesof the invention andthe-.scopeofthe followingI claims.'` i

I claim: A

l. Inj a shoe of thertype including aninner s ole andan-vupper,baYingan-intesra1- we poriivnfand vamp and its inner surface exposed between the toe and heel portions, the combinationwith a 'stiffener selected from; the-group :consisting of -stiffeners'tha-tdry and harden quickly upon ex- 5 posure to the air and stiffeners that dry and harden quickly after moistening with a solvent, .saicllstiienerbeing located in contact with the toe portion of the upper, of a shield covering the stiener and extending rearwardly beyond the tance raioidingawide attaching band, said shield being, .spaced from the toe portion of the upper and the stiiiener being held in place at its rear edgesolely by contact with the upper and shield, and layer,- of ementbetweenrsad attaching bandof theeshieldwand the inner `surface o f the upper affording La pocketin advance thereof with- "inrwhich thejs'tifener is located, thefront edge of `said layer of 'cement abutting the rear edge of the"'stiifener, and the edge portions of the shield, stiienennandwupper being secured to lthe inner sole.

2. VIn `ashoe of the type including an innersole and an upper having an integral toe portion `and vamp and its'inner vsurface exposed betweengthe y'toe and 'heel portions, the combination with a vstiffenerselected from 4the group consisting of 'stiieners that Adry 4and harden quickly upon -exposureto the air Land `stiieners that dry and -said stiffener being located 'incontact'withthe toe portion of the upper, of a'shield covering thestiffener and extending rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the stiffener for a substantialA distance V affording-'a wide lattaching band, said shield being spaced from the toe portion of the upper and the ystil-fermier being held in place at its rear edge solely by contact with the upper and shield, a layer of cernent'between 'said attachingband of the shield 40 and-the inner surface of the upper affording a pocket in advance thereof within which the stiffener is located, `the front edge of said layer of cement abutting theflre'ar edge'rof the stiiener, and'lines 'of stitching ladiacentto the ledges of the '45 shield and upperand extending parallel Vto said edges from approximatelythe forward edge of said cemented band .to -beyondthe rear. edge of the'shield to prevent loosening of the end portions of thefcemented band of the shield lprior to lasting, the edge `portions of the shield, st'iifener, and

upper including said stitched portions being. secured to the inner sole.

3. Ina shoe, the combination with an inner sole, anupper, and a hard, stiff toe box located .in contact ywith the toe portion of the upper, of

ashieldcovering the toe box and extending rearwardly'jbeyond-the rear edge of the toe `box for a substantial distance affording a wide attaching band, saidshield nbeing spaced from the toe por- .tion of the upper Vand the stiifener being held in pla-ce at lits rear edge solely vby contact with the upperand shield, and a layer of cement between said attaching bandof the shield and the inner n surface vrof the upper affording a pocket in ad- Vance .thereof-'within which ythe stiffener is located, the front edge of said layer of cement abutting the-rear edgeof the toe box, andthe edge portions of the shield, toe box, and upper being secured `to the inner solo; l SAMUEL-SUSSWEINl 

